"FARENGAR!" Rohan was awaken out of his semi-brandy induced sleep at the sound of the dunmer housecarl Irileth barging the door open in a thundering slam whereas Farengar who was unaware of Rohan's sleeping was in mid-speech of a sudden came to mind hypothesis when Irileth came barging in.

"You need to come at once!" the dunmer hollered in her commanding volume, "A dragon has been sighted nearby!" Her dark eyes then shot in Rohan's direction, "You should come too!"

Rohan was taken aback of the sudden request Me? Before he can utter a word of protest, Farengar had already dashed from his side of the desk following Irileth out "A dragon!" the mage beamed, "How exciting where was it seen? What was it doing?"

"I'd take this a bit more serious if I were you." said Irileth, "If a dragon had decided to attack Whiterun I don't know if we can stop it." she says grimly.

Rohan followed as well in sheer reluctance of course, cursing to himself for staying around to long. "Just had to stay for that fucking brandy did ya?"

Irileth lead them to what Jarl Balgruuf called his 'War Room' a study of hall with tall bookshelves, a large map of Tamriel framed on the wall, displays of rare relics of armor and weaponry, with a great table that had a map of Skyrim. Coming to where the table was Rohan could see marked territories showing spheres of influence within Skyrim's realm in a red/blue scheme. "Balgruuf may be keeping out of the war…" Rohan wondered. "But he sure was keeping track of it."

Rohan's attention left the display on the table and to the scene before him. There Balgruuf stood, arms cross his deep scowl set into his brow with Proventus standing at his side with fear addled caution. The steward's face froze with terror and nervousness as he and his liege looked on to the shook guardsman.

A lad no more than eighteen by the looks, his hair was a deep red that was moist in sweat and drooped down into his face like a mop. He was covered in soot that caked to him from all the perspiration, his armor torn and dirted, and his chest heaved as tried to control his breathing but the wideness in his eyes showed his terror he was enduring from within.

Balgruuf had finally spoke, "So, Irileth told me you've came from the Western Watchtower?" The young guard did not speak only nods his head, his mind was still whirling in a storm. Irileth step close to his side and put a consoling hand on his shoulder for a moment, "Tell him what you told me." she said softly, easing to him to calm his nerves.

"...The horn bellows Leif pushing you out of way of the creature's grasps... it grabs him instead throwing him in the air then catching him with its mouth, it circles back... fire pouring from its maw burning those in the southern bailey to black bodies...you run...you found a horse and you kept going hearing the screams echo out from behind….."

"Y...Yes my lord." the boy finally spoke "It came...from the south….it was fast...faster than anything I have ever seen….I never ran so fast in my life….I thought it would come after me for sure…."

Rohan knew what that boy was going through, he recognize that look. Not long ago, he himself went through such a terror. The utter fear and amazement of witnessing such power from a beast and the utter disbelief of what was witnessed. His own memories of hearing the screams and the smell of smoke and death began reemerge and haunt his nerves.

Balgruuf stepped closer and like Irileth placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, "What's your name lad?"

"Ari." the guard says in a harsh waspy voice. His eyes still blankly staring away.

"Good work son." said Balgruuf patting him. "We'll take it from here, head down to the barracks for some food and rest. You've earned it." The boy bows his head and slowly drags his feet away.

"Irileth." said Balgruuf snapping his eyes to her, "You better gather some men and head down there."

"I already ordered my men to muster near the main gate." said Irileth.

"Good." said Balgruuf nodding, "Don't fail me." He then turns to Rohan who he can see was quite uneasy. "There's no time to stand on ceremony my friend, but I'm need of your assistance."

"What would you have me do my jarl?" said Rohan sounding unsure yet in the back of his mind he sort of knew the request.

"I need you to go with Irileth and help her fight this dragon." Balgruuf said courtly.

Rohan's eyebrows raised bewildered. "Fight!?"

"You've survived Helgen so you have more experience than anyone else here."

"Experience!?" Rohan said, " Forgive dear Jarl but I have as much as experience as that boy just now. Barely surviving Helgen isn't much of a qualification for dragon slaying!"

Balgruuf knew Rohan wasn't a dragon slayer, by Oblivion deep seedy pits no one alive has slain a dragon. But Balgruuf could tell there something about him that the jarl knew he can use, as if there was a bright blazing inferno within him.

"I haven't forgotten the service you did for me in retrieving the Dragonstone and returning it to Farengar." Balgruuf said, "You braved a perilous draugr infested ruin and survived a dragon attack that put an entire town and most of its people into ash. I don't know if you understand the odds that are put out before you but the gods have you in their gaze boy."

"The Divines are with me." Rohan snorted, "There hasn't been not one old hag who hasn't wish that to anyone for fortune." Doubt kept riding within him.

"You're a mercenary right?" Balgruuf nonchalantly says, "You will be rewarded greatly. That I can assure you."

Now that was convincing, gold not heavenly blessings is what gets Rohan battle ready to face mortal danger. A good bottle of hooch and a night with a fair lady with a firm ass is my usual fare but if none can't provide then a bull's sack of coin will do. Was his usual MO in rates. And what better reward than from a wealthy jarl? Still there was a matter in when facing a dragon. Unless Balgruuf thinks Rohan is to fight in some plain clothes and a jagged axe or worse his bare hands with his cock out there was little no chance he could fight anything.

"Forgive me jarl but I'm quite unprepared into fighting a horker let alone a dragon." Rohan said.

Balgruuf chuckles gingerly, "That's why I'm letting you take a pick of my armory." he says "As a token for my esteem."

Guards within Dragonsreach scrambled from one to post to another, some taking close precaution in watching their liege, the jarl and his family while others standing guard as a perimeter around the castle itself. Outside of Dragonsreach within the city was pure chaos. It was well after midday when then the siren was called from the horn. There townsfolk knew that was the signal of one thing, Whiterun was about to be under attack. Townsmen scrambled to their homes, screaming, snatching their babes and whatever valuables they could grab. The refugees outsides also scurried some trying to make it to the gate pushing the blockade of guardsmen, others attempting to scale the walls, while the little few run elsewhere for cover.

Near the main gate was a complement of guards. Veteran soldiers they were all hand picked to be apart of Irileth personal company. Current mission intel was inconclusive at the moment but many of the guardsman had heard rumors that could be a dragon and Whiterun could very well meet the same fate as Helgen. That made everyone nervous, prayers were hoping it was just a really organized stormcloak raid that's got everyone spooked. Men they can handle, dragons however….haven't been seen in fuckton centuries.

They stood anxious yet battle ready waiting for their commanding officer to come an address them before they march out. She was thanks be to the gods finally, along with a peculiar fellow. He was decked out nordic engraved steel armor, with a long shiny steel greatsword holstered on his back. One guardsman had whispered to his comrade next to him that that was the wanderer who strayed in front gate earlier that morning saying he was from Helgen.

"Listen UP!" the housecarl barked. "A dragon has been spotted near the Western Watchtower!"

Fell silence halted the band of guards. Bad news indeed.

"SHIT!" one had said.

"Now we're in for it!"

"You heard me a dragon!" continued Irileth "I don't care much where it came from or sent it! What I do know that its made the mistake of attacking Whiterun!" she says, her deep blaring red eyes were deep within the sights of her men as if she was trying to resonate their souls just by glaring at them.

"But housecarl how can we fight a dragon?" says one guard out of the quietness of the rest.

"That's a fair question." says Irileth, "None of us has ever seen a dragon let alone expect to face one in battle. But we are honorbound to fight it even if we fail!" she rallies. "This dragon is threatening our homes!" she booms, "Our families!"

The solemn mood changes within the men as their faces lit up to the rhythm of Irileth's words, turning from soft somber kittens to fight harden sabre cats.

Irileth continued revving them up some more. "Could you call yourself Nords if you ran from this monster!? Are you going to let me face this thing alone?!" An appeal to honor to to barter for their support.

"Gods no!" some guards yell.

"But it's more than honor at stake here, think of it." Irileth said, "The first dragon seen in Skyrim since the last age!" she beamed. Guards begin to cheer her on, some townsfolk listen along stop to cheer for their support to "The glory of killing it is ours!" continued Irileth, "If you're with me!" More cheers erupt like fanfare at a festival.

Irileth now need to close her rallying speech, "Now what do you say? Shall we go kill us a dragon!"

The guards boom with confirming howls of praise. Some punching one another as to test their toughness as a strong mixed wreckless brashness filled their pride. The onlooking townsfolk stood and cheered.

"Gods protect you housecarl!" some had said.

"Divines watch over you all!"

Rohan stood, arms crossed, brow raised as he was impressed. "Fiery woman she is." he giggles to himself. Even he was moved by her rallying speech.

Irileth went from her upbeat mood back to her stone hard face and only looked to Rohan. "I've readied a horse for you." she says, "Mount up!"

The ride to the watchtower was not much of a long trek, when nearing the tower Irileth insisted for everyone to dismount and walk further ahead. A good idea for a horse can easily be spooked and scramble, trampling you while your attention was displaced at your target during a fight.

The armed armada of nords lead by the dunmer stop atop a small hill where they could get a vista of the tower up ahead. The Western Watchtower laid like a broken fortress, mounds of rubble and wood in crumbled piles, flames still dancing all around.

Rohan feel the air was little hot than it usual was with the stale smell of burning death linger on his nose, yes this was just like Helgen. "No sign of any dragon right now." said Irileth her hand over her brow as she tries to look far. "But sure does looks like it was here. "

That same energy Rohan felt back before the imperials were going to lop off his head resonated within him once more. "It...isn't here." he says, "But its nearby, I can feel it somehow."

Irileth raised an eyebrow at the odd sellsword for a moment. "I know its looks bad but we've got to figure what happened." She drew her steel setting out, her men did so as well and followed. "Spread out!" she commanded, "And look for survivors! We need to know what we're dealing with."

Rohan did not drew his blade yet he kept his ears open and his mind steady and focused. He did not know what yet his instincts began to work him like a machine, as if his body was readying itself before he could tell it too. "Be on guard… His mind tells him. "You know it's out there watching you… Like a cat watching the mouse… A sabre prowling the grass ready to pounce the elk… It treats you like its prey…. Its toying with you, watching…..Be ready….You're not going to be thrashed around...No….Not like last time…."

Irileth and her guards prowled the perimeter of the tower, eyes lurking at the wreckage and burned bodies. Shame, all those men gone in an instant. A few guardsmen began to pull bodies that strewn against the wreckage. "Damn…" lamented one guard, "That ones Leif, he was gonna retire came Hearthfire."

Rohan took a piece of burned rubble in his hand and felt the stilled heat within his palm. The beast's fire breath was intense, could it be the same that nearly killed him before?

He walked slowly to the now dilapidated structure of the main tower. As Rohan stepped up nearing the entrance he was stopped by a man, his armor damaged and he was near covered in sweaty soot. Rohan caught him midstep as the man ran into his arms.

"NO! GET BACK! IT'S STILL SOMEWHERE!" he hollered hysterically. "Hroki and Tor just got grabbed when they tried to make a run for it!"

Irileth overhears the commotion and hurries herself to where Rohan and the guardsman stood. "Guardsman!" she barked. "Tell me what's happened! Quickly now!"

"Shor's bones…." the man whimpers, "It killed them all! We're all going to die! You've fools have come to your death."

Irileth tries to console him, get the man to simmer down and shaking him even, but he kept wailing on hysterically, it was no use the man was traumatized.

Silence drowned out the man cries for Rohan's ears as the air went still for a moment. Rohan was then suddenly sensing a strong energy rushing behind him. And then….he heard it.

That roar, that same shrieking sound that he heard once before. Flashes of the moment his neck stretched over the headsman block, the moist steely smell of blood already rising from the wood. The headsman raises his axe...And then…..he saw it.

"Kynareth save us!" the guardsman screams, "Here he comes again!"

Rohan snaps out of his trance and looks up just at the right moment as the beast soars over them roaring. It was big but not as he remembered it. The dragon, the scales were...brown? It had deep green eyes and long jagged teeth. "A different dragon then? How many are there!?"

"Here it comes!" says Irileth she draws her bow and notches, "Make every arrow count!"

Rohan had no bow for the blade he carried was too massive to carry the two. Besides, he knew how futile arrows were to these things, then again...he was not so sure about blades either.

The dragon flies low over them, the gust of wind sending one poor guard off the high rise he was standing on falling to the ground dead. It then circles back over, Rohan registered the flight patch it was doing automatically and his instincts kicked in, "Its about to breathe its fire move!" he yells. Irileth along with some guards who heard him scrambled to cover. Like Rohan thought, the dragon flew back over with flames spilling from its mouth. Some unfortunate guards who didn't heed Rohan's warning was caught in the blaze one of them being the traumatized guard earlier who tried to make break for it but was no instantly incinerated.

Rohan was able to dodge roll into cover barely caught in the gust of the drake's wings. He rolls clumsily over a small pile of rubble injuring himself. Wiping his face and catching his breath, only hearing the shallow rhythm of his beating heart as he looks on at the horror. Guards who were but few moment ago shouting praise and readiness for battle when they the city now covered in flames and screaming as they burned to death. Irileth rallying what's left of her men and engages and fruitless battle with the winged beast. She casts her armor in a spell to reinforce its strength, with her blade in one hand and magicka in the other shooting burst of lighting, aiming for the dragon's wings while her guardsmen do the same with their bows.

Rohan slowly tries to get up but pain from which he withstood from the previous tumble struck his legs and stumbles back down. "What are you doing here Rohan….Why did you come here…." His mind tells him. "Why risk your life...for what...You may be a nord….Your ancestors lay here….and you were born here…..but this is not your home….."

"I dreamt that I was standing in a land of fire and blood…"

"Those words…where have I heard them?"

"Darkness shrouding over me...and I scream, hollered out…."

"That voice….Ma?"

"But then you came...in a light of glorious virtue…"

Rohan finds the strength to put one foot firmly to the ground.

"The Gods have plans for you…"

He then puts the other to the ground and before he could realize it, he was standing upright.

"It is your destiny…"

Irileth could not keep up this tactic any longer, her magic was waning and she had but a few arrows left. But the dragon kept flying, it took one of her men its long claws, flinging outward to the ground. It then reaches for another with is mouth and bites the poor guard in half before circling back.

Rohan drew his blade breathing heavy through his nose. "I do not fear you...BEAST!" He then charges forward, running up a broken platform of what was once the tower's outer wall. "Do you hear me!?" The platform gave him an admirable boost as he leaped off, "I DON'T FEAR YOU!"

He catches the dragon's path in mid air, sinking his blade into his wing. Rohan never heard a dragon yelp in pain before, but it did and it was soon slunking heavily to the ground. The crashes was heavy and loud, clumps of dirt goes flying in a gust cloud.

The dragon and miraculously Rohan survived the crash. Rohan quickly pulled his blade from the drake's wing, right before it tries to hit him with its long spiky tail.

"It's on the ground!" shouted Irileth with renewed sense of strength, "Move in!"

Rohan quickly went for the dragon mouth, slicing it, the dragon giving out a painful hiss. He didn't know what it was but Rohan felt so compelled to engage with this great beast. He had fought many a man and monster but here this dragon, it was as if their hearts were beating as one, as they both engaged into battle. As if this was where Rohan belonged, that he was meant to fight this beast.

"Britt grah!" the dragon spoke, "I had forgotten what fine sport you mortals can provide! Thurri du hin sille ko Sovngarde!"

The dragon tries once more with its firebreath and as if the gods were watching Rohan finds a lone shield strewn amidst the ground. He picks up the thick iron plated oak in time to ward off most of the flames. But he could feel the heat melting away at the iron fittings and soon the wood. The dragon did not relent but kept pouring through hoping to break the shield and burn him but then suddenly stopped. Irileth and her men came in the nick of time, she once more with lighting bolt and the guards with their arrows.

This gave Rohan the window to finish the job. The dragon's attention was ward off for just a moment for it to catch Rohan once again running up to him. Rohan slices at the dragon once more hard, then quickly and having no idea how or why he was doing it, climbs atop its head.

The dragon wiggled and wreathed trying to shake him off but Rohan kept balanced and struck the drake, hitting its neck. It struggles once more and violently, Rohan goes for the neck once more this time sinking it deep in and felt the warm blood touch his hands. The dragon hissed but more weakly. Rohan then finally goes in for one more blow, he leaps up and slams his sword atop the dragon's head, piercing it. The dragon went limp… "dovahkiin….no!" It's lasts words.

"Damn good shooting boys." says Irileth looking to what's left of her men. That was the hairiest fight she had ever been in to but she was proud of her men truly.

"Look!" one guard yells, snapping Irileth's attention back to the dragon. She watches as its now hulking carcass begins to...sizzle?

Rohan took a slow step back, tripping on his own footing yet his eyes were set on the dragon as he looks on watching it slowly start to disintegrate strangely.

"Everyone get back!" Irileth shouted, she and the rest of the men scramble to find cover once again except Rohan who remained on the ground with a sudden hot gust of wind coming from the dragon. Its scales flake off and burn like paper tossed in a flame and the sudden burst of winded energy flies and flows through to Rohan abruptly in a fitted whirlwind.

Rohan felt the energy encircled him and his body consumes it. He felt the flush of the energy absorbed within and his mind steadies itself. A sudden vision flashes before him.

The cave of Bleak Falls...those words etched upon the wall….it calls him...begging him to speak it….Fus….Fus….Fus….FORCE…..Fus….Fus….

Rohan opens his eyes and breathed in heavily, exhaling into a speech he did not until now he could, "FUS!" A burst of wind flies from his mouth so heavy that it budge the now bare skeletal remains of the dragon, kicking up dirt as well. It felt beautiful, that word parting his lips, as if it was meant to be. Rohan stood and smiled. He had never felt so accomplished in his young life.

He pauses in his blissful moment of joy and looks to the now stunned guardsmen who stared back at him, eyes wide and mouths agape. "I can't believe it…" stammers one guard, "You're...Dragonborn!"

Rohan raised an eyebrow, stunned and confused, "What?"

Irileth stepped forward joining her dazed guardsmen and spoke, "Arrest him."

A/N: Hope you enjoy, don't forget to review.

Dragon translation: Britt grah- "Beautiful Battle!"

Thurri du hin sille ko Sovngarde!- "My lord will feast on your souls in Sovngarde!"